Kulbida wrote:Hi there!I just picked up a Roland SH-1000 off my local classifieds for $50. Seems like an awesome deal, most definitely was but when I took it home, fired it up and plugged it in no sound came out of it.

Not such a good deal if it dosen't work!

Kulbida wrote:I'm wondering if anyone has any advice or has expierienced this before and knows a way to fix it... If it means taking the whole thing apart and re-soldering some joints just make some suggestions..Just wanna get this thing going and hear some sweet stuff.THANKS!

Pardon my snarking, but you don't come across as someone who needs to tear into a vintage synth.Take it to a good tech.If I read you wrong:(1) read the owners manual and be sure you have it set correctly(2) get a manual and a multi-meter and make sure the power supply is fully working.(3) If the output VCA uses a CA3080 op-amp, you may need to change that - they die.(4) get or rig up an audio signal tracer and try to follow the signal(5) if you get this far without joy, look for a tech.

Kulbida wrote:Hi there!I just picked up a Roland SH-1000 off my local classifieds for $50. Seems like an awesome deal, most definitely was but when I took it home, fired it up and plugged it in no sound came out of it.

Not such a good deal if it dosen't work!

Kulbida wrote:I'm wondering if anyone has any advice or has expierienced this before and knows a way to fix it... If it means taking the whole thing apart and re-soldering some joints just make some suggestions..Just wanna get this thing going and hear some sweet stuff.THANKS!

Pardon my snarking, but you don't come across as someone who needs to tear into a vintage synth.Take it to a good tech.If I read you wrong:(1) read the owners manual and be sure you have it set correctly(2) get a manual and a multi-meter and make sure the power supply is fully working.(3) If the output VCA uses a CA3080 op-amp, you may need to change that - they die.(4) get or rig up an audio signal tracer and try to follow the signal(5) if you get this far without joy, look for a tech.

Also, try moving the HI-MED-LO output switch back and forth a few times.

Good advice, rhino! However, Kulbida, you can skip #3 on rhino's list. The VCA is not a chip, it is a discrete VCA on a daughtercard plugged into a much larger board that holds the main synth circuitry. It is referred to as "pack 3" in the service manual. If you don't have much experience with electronics, I would leave that particular board alone.

Given the way the synth is built, I would add to the suggestion rhino made about the HI-MED-LO switch, and that would be to unplug all those little boards and plug them right back in to make sure contact is good. The same applies to the cable connectors.

Due to the thing's age, the power supply, as well as most of the rest of the synth, will need to be recapped.

Mods: This should probably be in the Help section

Don Taylor

Master of no trades, practitioner of many. (Basically, this means I know just enough about a lot of things to get myself in real trouble)

I used to work as for a company that had the salvage rights to a rubbish tip. I found one of these thrown out on the tip face Its physical condition was awful, but when I fired it up, everything worked as it should except for the tuning being way out.

I sold it about 10 years ago for $80.I heard a well-callibrated SH 1000 a few months back and think I deserve to facepalm myself. While not a particularly advanced instrument (wasn't it one of Roland's first synths?) its basic tone is gorgeous.

Im trying to test the transformer with a multi meter. and im getting inconsistent readings. according to the schematic i should be getting 17vac off the secondaries. is this true? cause im only getting that every now and then and never off the yellow and gray wires. is the tranny fried?

im thinking of disconnecting a leg of the diodes in the rectifier and testing them.

Kulbida wrote:Im trying to test the transformer with a multi meter. and im getting inconsistent readings. according to the schematic i should be getting 17vac off the secondaries. is this true? cause im only getting that every now and then and never off the yellow and gray wires. is the tranny fried?

im thinking of disconnecting a leg of the diodes in the rectifier and testing them.

Not necessarily. If there is something downstream that is dead/dying and drawing a lot more current than it should, the voltage drop will show up all the way back to the source. The fluctuations could be caused by a voltage regulator doing it's best to try to keep voltage constant, but dropping out every time it is unable to do so because of a drop in supply.

Don Taylor

Master of no trades, practitioner of many. (Basically, this means I know just enough about a lot of things to get myself in real trouble)

Unplug the connectors going from the power supply to the rest of the synth (all of them, all at the same time), then measure the voltages at each connector on the power supply board. Of course, if there is a bad component on the power supply board you'll have to do a bit more detective work. The power supply board also houses some of the synth circuitry.

Don Taylor

Master of no trades, practitioner of many. (Basically, this means I know just enough about a lot of things to get myself in real trouble)

I'm trying to resurrect one that both VR's are missing from. The devices I get w/ SI-3150 are obviously something else. I imagine a 7815 will more than sub for it. (I tried, realizing a .5A fuse means quarter amp max probably per device, and it seems to be working ok.) But it'd be swell to see and yes (6 years later if anyone still wonders ) Sh-1000 is the first synth product japan shipped I believe shortly before minikorg. Think like the acetone canary preceded... not really a synth though.